Everything a music video should be in my opinion is beautiful and loosely narrative. If it does any job at all of revealing the zeitgeist then I’m even happier, whether it be intentional or not. Music videos today often neglect their ability to serve as a time capsules for generations. This video for Mates of State by director Daniel Garcia both tells the story of a party crashing bear with an internal conflict too big to solve, and simultaneously captures the spirit of 2008 thanks to the styling of Alice Bertay.
On the flip side, how do you make a successful animated video? While it’s a harder concept to pin down, due to all of the added challenges animation creates, the same rules apply. In this fun video for Ghostly International, we get to see three pals literally bring the color back to a gray city. While the story might not be the most innovative idea ever, it entertains. The artwork painted by Liz Artinian is perfect. It recalls early cartoons without coming off as too kitsch; it’s almost modern in some ways. Oh, and the animation, perfect.
You can download the entire album “Ghostly Swim” which I cannot vouch for but hear is very good. You can also watch the video here. Apologies for the link I believe the video is still exclusive and can only be seen on this website for now.